Golf-cup.



F. F. AUSTIN.

GoL'F cuP. VMPLIJATION FILED APB- 4. 191B.

Patented Mar. 11,1919.

FRANK F. AUSTIN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' GOLF-CUP.

Specificatoniof Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

Application led April 4, 1918. Serial No. 226,635.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. AUSTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf-Cups, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in golf cups and has particular reference to a type of cup in which no actual hole or opening in the ground is required. The device is of particular value when used for practising putting, either outside or inside of the house, and for the game of indoor golf.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a construction of the general type described, which shall produce as exactly as possible the actual conditions encountered when putting a ball into an ordinary golf cup of standard dimensions, sunken into the surface of the putting green in the regular manner; to provide a device which does not require for its support or application any cumbersome standards or other parts in the vicinity of the cup itself; to provide a device which is complete in itself and which may be lifted witha minimum of stooping, in order to change the location of the cup or to remove a ball trapped therein; to provide a device of the class described, which is symmetrical in all its aspects, so that a ball is subjected to the same conditions, no matter from which direction it is putted; to provide a device of the class described which may be promii nently numbered so as to designate the number of the hole which the cup represents; to provide a device of the class described whichmay be adjusted rapidly and conveniently, in order to suit changed conditions or to change the conditions; tol provide a device of the class described which shall be neat and pleasing in appearance, while being inexpensive to manufacture; and, in general, to provide an improved construction ofthe character'referred to.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention- Figure 1 is a plan view of the device, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that the device as a whole is supported by a cylindrical base plate 10 which,

at its edge, is slightly curled, as shown at 11, the diameter of the curl being substantially equal to that of the interior of a regulation golf cup. As will be seen, the curl 11 is slightly raised, so as to accurately define the .diameter of the cup, while its outer edge is turned down in order to raise the plate vents the cup from moving when struck by a ball traveling at excessive speed.

At the center of the base plate 10 is locatedva concave-sided circular spool 12, in the center of which is turned a groove arranged to receive a horizontally extending soft rubber ring 13. The spool 12 supports on its upper side the flexible trapping disk 111, the purpose of which is to grasp the ball when it passes over the rim 11 and onto the inner surface ofthe plate 10. ySaid trapping disk 14 may be constructed of a suitable grade of paper fiber or other material, which is suiliciently flexible. Bakelized paper or fiber is one material which I have employed with success.

The trapping disk 14 is held down against `theupper surface of the spool 12 by means of a suitable annular soft rubber washer 15 interposed between the said trapping disk 14': and the protecting top plate 16, which `may be constructed of fairly rigid material,

such as sheet metal. When constructed of sheet metal, said top plate 16 is preferably curled down at its edges, as shown at 17, in order to provide the necessary stiffness, and

vhas formed at its center an annular downturned flange 18, which fits the interior of the soft rubberwasher 15.

tersunk in order to enable the lower' face of the head 23 of the screw QQ to set flush with the bottom surface of the plate 10, The body of the screw 22 passes freely through the spool l2, the point of the screw being threaded into the enlarged base of the flagsta 19. Preferably, in order to permit. of the adjustment of the device to suit balls of varying dimensions, or for any other purpose, 1 prefer to insert between the top of the spool l2 and the bot-tom of the flag-staff 19, a series of spacing washers' 2st, thereby enabling the space between the trapping disk la and the base plate 10, to be changed at will. Other spacing washers 25 are employed for the purpose of enabling me to adjust the pressure upon the rubber washer l5 so as to change the resiliency of the trapping disk 14.

lVith my improved device 1 am enabled yto reproduce, with eXactness, the actual conditions encountered when putting into a standard cup on a` regulation putting green. When a golf ball is struc-k at the proper speed to enter and stay in the cup, the top of the ball, which of course is traveling at o double the speed of the center of gravity of the ball, engages and lifts up the edge of the trapping disk 14 and, by reason of the top of the ball moving at such high speed, a great amount of friction is produced between the ball and the disk, thereby retarding its forward progress quite rapidly. 1f the ball has been struck at the right speed, such retardation will be complete and the velocity of the ball will be Zero before it can pass over the rim of the base plate and out of the cup. This condition will of course apply in cases where the ball touches or rebounds from the rubber ring 13, and also in cases where the ball passes to the side and does not engage the said central spool 12. As is the case with a regulation golf cup, the ball will have a very slight tendency to stay in the cup if it is struck in such direction that it only passes over the outer edge of the hole, and the more accurate the stroke with reference to direction, the greater t-he permissible speed and the less tendency there is for the ball to escape or overrun the cup. 1n cases where the ball is struck with absolute directional accuracy, it will stay in the cup, even when traveling at a comparatively high speed, as in standard golf. But if struck with excessive force, it will rebound from the rubber ring 13 and jump back out of the cup. The flange or rim l1 on `the base plate l0 is especially effective in reproducing the condition known in standard golf as rimming the cup when the ball is struck with fair speed and in a direction slightly within a tangent to the outer rim of the cup.

1n using my device, the amount of stooping required is considerably less than with most cups which have hitherto been brought to my attention, for the reason that in removing a ball therefrom, the cup containing the ball may be lifted by grasping the knob or handle 26 which, if desired, may be inscribed with the number of the hole. rllhe device being circular, is absolutely symmetrical when viewed from any angleand furnishes a pleasing and convenient target for the put.

The scope of the invention should be determined by reference to the appended claims, inasmuch as the described details of mechanical construction are subject to considerable variation, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

1 claim- 1. In a golf cup of the class described, the combination of ay vertically yieldable trap disk, and means normally maintaining the saine spaced from the surface of the putting area with its outer edge portion in position to be engaged by the upper surface of a golf ball.

`2. 1n a golf cup, the combination of a horizontally disposed, substantially flat circular yielding trap sheet, and means nor mally and centrally maintaining said trap sheet spaced apart from the surface of the putting area in position to engage the upper surface of a moving golf ball.

3. 1n a golf cup of the class described, the combination of a` base, a. central standard, and a substantially lat circular trap sheet carried centrally by said standard and spaced apart from the surface of the putting and its upper surface will be frictionally engaged by the under surf-ace of the said trap sheet.

5. 1n a golf cup, the combination of a circular base plate, a central standard secured to the top of said base plate, a circular trap sheet horizontally and centrally mounted on said support, the spacing and the arrangement being such that a moving golf ball will enter' between the said parts and its upper surface will be frictionally enga-ged by the under surface of the said trap sheet, and means resiliently maintaining the trap sheet and base plate in spaced apart relation.

6. 1n a. golf cup, the combination of a cir* cula-r base plate,y a central standard secured under surface of the said trap sheet, means to the top of said base plate,4V a circular trap resilently maintaining the trapy sheet and sheet horizontally and centrally mounted on base plate in spaced apart relation, and 10 said support, the spacing and the arrangemeans overlying and protecting the trap ment being such that a moving golf ball will sheet.

enter between the said parts and its upper surface will be frictionally engaged by the FRANK F. AUSTIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

